A total of 16 million passengers passed through London Heathrow Airport in the first three months of 2013, a record for the period.

The figure represents a 1.8 per cent increase on the same period last year.

Revenue at the airport was also up 6.1 per cent, to £520 million, reflecting increased traffic and higher tariffs.

A slight increase in retail spend per passenger, up from £6.26 to £6.33, increased its net retail income to £16 million.

As a result, the airport reported pre-tax loss for the period to the end of March of £196 million, down from £232 million.

Debt was reduced by seven per cent to £10.6 billion, largely due to the sale of Stansted Airport.

Heathrow chief executive, Colin Matthews, said: “Heathrow performed strongly in the first quarter, with record passenger service scores and record financial performance.

“Strong cash flow is an important element in funding major current and future investment to improve Heathrow still further.”

For the millions of Britons heading off this summer to holiday destinations around the world, or for those who go on regular weekend breaks to mainland Europe, taking a taxi from the airport to a city centre hotel is usually the most convenient and fastest way to travel. But how much or little are Brits paying for this convenience?

New research from travel money specialist Moneycorp looks at the cost of a taxi ride – not booked in advance – from some of the major international airports in Europe and the rest of the world, to the city centre. Moneycorp looked at the most popular destinations for British holidaymakers, and results were ranked by cost per kilometre, as some airport to city centre transfers were more expensive due to the journey distance. The results revealed huge differences in price, even within mainland Europe, with taxi fares potentially adding hundreds of pounds onto the cost of a holiday or weekend break.

European destinations fill six of the top seven places for most expensive airport to city centre taxi transfers. But top of the pile is Tokyo. A taxi ride from Tokyo Narita airport to the centre of the city, 66 km away, will set tourists back almost £200, or a cost per km of £2.90. That’s in spite of sterling strengthening against the yen since last summer by more than 24%. Take a taxi both ways, and you could be looking at an eye-watering £400 additional expense on top of all your other holiday costs.

Ranking by £ per km, Copenhagen (Denmark) is the most expensive airport-city centre taxi transfer in Europe. Although the taxi journey from Copenhagen airport to the city centre is only 8km, the average fare is £34.08, which equates to £4.26 per km. The next most expensive is Geneva (Switzerland) to centre of Geneva. Again the journey is short, only 6km, but will set holidaymakers back an average of £22.63 or £3.77 per km.

On price alone, the 45km taxi ride from Oslo’s Gardermoen airport to the city centre costs an eye-watering £73.45. That means a round trip will set people back almost £150 (£146.90). Oslo is closely followed by Milan Malpensa airport to the centre of Milan, which will leave holidaymakers out of pocket by the princely sum of £70.25.

In terms of the cheapest airport-city centre taxi rides, Delhi’s Indira Ghandi International to the centre of Delhi, will set you back just £2.69 for the 16km journey, or £0.17 per km. This is closely followed by Thailand’s Suvernabhumi airport to Bangkok central, where a 30km taxi ride costs just £5.63 or £0.19 per km.

The next three cheapest destinations are in Europe; Sofia airport to city centre (£0.22 per km), Istanbul Ataturk airport (£0.24 per km), and Ottopeni airport (£0.28 per km), which is 17km outside Bucharest. On price alone, Sofia airport-city centre transfer works out cheapest at £2.17, followed by Bucharest (£4.79), Istanbul (£6.01) and Warsaw (£8.11).

In terms of distance, the international airports which are furthest from the city centre are: Tokyo Narita (66km), Reykjavik Keflavik (48km), Milan Malpensa (46km), Oslo Gardermoen (45km), Stockholm Arlanda (43km), Buenos Aires Ministro Pistarini (35km) and Hong Kong (34km). The closest are Geneva (6km), Copenhagen (8km) and Lisbon’s Portela airport (9km).

Tracey Tivnan, head of marketing for Travel Money at Moneycorp, comments:  “Taking a taxi from the airport is not the cheapest option compared to taking the train or bus, but it is usually the preferred option because of the sheer convenience of being taken from right outside the terminal to a hotel. For those arriving late at night in unfamiliar territory, the last thing any of us want to do is navigate foreign transport systems. We want to get to our hotel as quickly as possible, with no hassle.

“What our research into airport taxi costs reveals is the wide variation in taxi fares depending on which country you’re visiting. And this extra cost could make a large dent in your holiday budget if you’re not careful or prepared. If the airport to city centre taxi ride is particularly expensive, like in Tokyo, then taking the bus or train may be the only option – so it’s worth checking out the local transport system in advance. Alternatively, you might be able to book a taxi before you travel, which could be significantly cheaper than flagging down a taxi outside the airport.

“It’s interesting that some of the biggest variations in taxi costs are in mainland Europe. For example, the taxi fare from Milan Malpensa airport to the city centre will cost you more than £70. This compares to just £2.17 from Sofia airport to the centre of Sofia. And with sterling more than 6% weaker against the euro since last July, taxi fares will be even more expensive in Europe this summer.”

Travelers who fly business class have voted the Premium Terminal at Doha International Airport the best in the world for the third year in a row, for services like personal chauffeurs, 5-star dining options and in-transit spa and sauna experiences.

Announced in Geneva this week, voters in Skytrax’s World’s Best Airport Awards named the luxury terminal by Qatar Airways the World’s Best Premium Service Airport, a US$100 million, 10,000-square-meter space built in 2006.

More than 12.1 million travelers cast votes for the World’s Best Airports Awards.

Doha’s Premium Terminal acts as a separate, self-contained airport for the fabulously rich and famous, with its own duty-free shopping area, self-service check-in kiosks and dedicated e-gates to speed up immigration formalities.

Reserved for first and business class travelers on Qatar Airways, passengers are privy to a personal chauffeur who will shuttle them to and from their plane.

After being greeted by a concierge, visitors can choose between an array of five-star dining options such as hot and cold Arabic and international cuisine,  unwind in a spa and Jacuzzi, or get a massage.

Showers and private layover rooms are also available for passengers who want to freshen up and squeeze in a nap before boarding their next flight.

Families can likewise avail themselves of the nurseries and children’s play area, while business travelers have a conference and meeting room at their disposal.

Here are the Top 5 Best Premium Service Airports in the world:

1.      Premium Terminal Doha International Airport, Qatar Airways

2.      Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport, Thai Airways

3.      First Class Terminal, Frankfurt Airport, Lufthansa

4.      Abu Dhabi International Airport, Terminal 3

5.      SATS Singapore Changi Airport, Terminal 2

Doha, QATAR – Effective 1st April 2013, Hamad International Airport (HIA) – the State of Qatar’s brand new iconic airport – will begin soft opening operations for the following 10 passenger airlines:-

1. Air Arabia 

2. Air India Express 

3. Biman Bangladesh Airlines 

4. flydubai 

5. Iran Air 

6. Nepal Airlines 

7. Pakistan International Airlines

8. RAK Airways 

9. Syrian Air 

10.Yemen Airways 

Qatar Airways’ flights will not be affected. The national airline will move its entire operations from the current Doha International Airport (DIA) to Hamad International Airport (HIA) by the end of the year.

The 10 airlines listed will no longer have a presence at Doha International Airport (DIA) and will operate exclusively from HIA from 1st April 2013 There will be around 32 passenger flights departing daily from HIA equating to approximately 222 flights per week.  

Concourse B at HIA will be fully operational on 1st April 2013 for passengers travelling with these 10 airlines. Passengers will enter the passenger terminal complex from the east side entrance and go directly to the check-in counters. After check-in, immigration and security, passengers will be directed to concourse B. At HIA, passengers departing and arriving will be boarding and exiting aircraft via an air bridge to the terminal. 

Along with the concourse B opening on 1st April 2013, the eastern runway, which is the longest of the two runways at HIA, and the uniquely designed, crescent-shaped air traffic control tower, will also be in operation.

Parking will be available at the eastern side of the short term car park in front of the passenger terminal complex. From the car park, passengers will be able to enter the passenger terminal complex through the eastern link bridge connected to parking facility.

There will be taxis available to and from HIA as well as a limousine service from April 1. The taxi pick-up point is located on the arrivals floor at the left side when exiting the terminal and the limousine service is located on the arrivals floor at the right side when exiting the terminal. Across the road from arrivals there will be a pick-up point for private cars.  

For transport between airports, arriving and departing passengers will be able to use the shuttle bus service which will be operating from HIA to Doha International Airport Departures terminal (DIA) and DIA to HIA as of the 1st April 2013.